NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/11) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper West Side)

Posted on 12/11/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > WEDNESDAY/ DECEMBER 11, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==============================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

IDINA MENZEL
at Carnegie Hall / 8 p.m.; $49+
“This veteran singer-actress’s voice is celebrated in households across the country, particularly those with young children: As Elsa, the animated snow queen of Disney’s “Frozen,” Menzel powers the inescapable pop-culture juggernaut that is “Let It Go.” Though the song is by far the biggest hit of her career, Menzel is no stranger to the anthemic. As Elphaba in Broadway’s “Wicked,” she belted out tunes about empowerment; as Maureen in “Rent,” she preached self-respect. This week, Menzel is playing a trio of shows around the New York area in support of her new Christmas record. Given its seasonal relevance, odds are she’ll sneak a bit of “Frozen” material into her performance at Carnegie Hall.” (NYT-OLIVIA HORN)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> STEVEN BERNSTEIN
>> HARISH RAGHAVAN QUINTET
>> Le Nozze di Figaro
>> Christian McBride
>> Chris Botti Holiday Residency
>> The Atlantic Presents: How to Stop a Civil War—Impeachment at a Time of National Fracturing
>> The Dharma of Star Wars

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

=======================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

STEVEN BERNSTEIN (Dec. 11-12)
at Dizzy’s Club / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $45
“Many of jazz’s most engaging figures have a way of finding what resonates in the past — a style, a method, a spirit — and giving it new life without trying to preserve or conspicuously modernize it. (Think of Jason Moran, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Christian McBride: Each has a way of doing this.) Bernstein, a trumpeter who sprang from New York’s experimental-jazz scene in the 1980s, is one of those musicians. On Wednesday he will perform at Dizzy’s with his nine-piece Millennial Territory Orchestra — which romps through a repertoire ranging from Fats Waller to Ray Charles to the Beatles — with the vocalist Catherine Russell joining as a special guest. On Dec. 12 Bernstein will bring his longtime quartet Sexmob, featuring the saxophonist Briggan Krauss, the bassist Tony Scherr and the drummer Kenny Wollesen.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

HARISH RAGHAVAN QUINTET
at Jazz Standard / 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.; $30
“A bassist with as much lyrical sensitivity as he has resounding power, Raghavan is best known for his work in the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s esteemed quintet. But he has recently begun to emerge as a protagonist in his own right, leading a five-piece group at clubs around New York and showcasing his book of soaring, neatly woven compositions. At this show he and the members of his quintet (Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, Joel Ross on vibraphone, Micah Thomas on piano and Kweku Sumbry on drums) will celebrate the release of their fine debut album, “Calls for Action,” out last month.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

The Metropolitan Opera
Le Nozze di Figaro (next Dec.14, 8PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $53+
“Two outstanding casts—including sopranos Nadine Sierra, Anita Hartig, Susanna Phillips, and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller; mezzo-sopranos Gaëlle Arquez and Marianne Crebassa; baritone Mariusz Kwiecien; and bass-baritones Luca Pisaroni and Adam Plachetka—come together for Mozart’s scintillating class comedy. Antonello Manacorda and Cornelius Meister conduct Sir Richard Eyre’s fast-paced production.”

Christian McBride (Dec. 10-15)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35, need to try the late sets.
“A nineties wunderkind who has fulfilled his early promise, the extraordinary bassist Christian McBride began as a staunch defender of mainstream jazz. His forays into such far-flung terrain as free improvisation and electrified funk notwithstanding, he always returns to where his heart lies. His Inside Straight ensemble is a taut quintet that includes the saxophonist Steve Wilson and the vibraphonist Warren Wolf.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

Chris Botti Holiday Residency
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $55-$95, may be a tough ticket, try the late set
“This trumpet players’s skills are actually as good as his telegenic looks, even if he rarely puts them to use playing the kind of bop he cut his teeth on. A consummate showman, Botti presents his blend of smooth jazz-funk, glossily Miles-ian ballads and assorted pop and classical chestnuts at the Blue Note for his 13th annual holiday residency.” (TONY)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

The Atlantic Presents: How to Stop a Civil War—Impeachment at a Time of National Fracturing
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7:30PM, $35
“We are living in a dangerous moment in America. Unprecedented partisanship, inequality, social upheaval, and structural failures in our democracy have divided the nation and threaten the American experiment.

This urgent issue is addressed by The Atlantic’s December special edition, “How to Stop a Civil War.” Hear a conversation with three of that issue’s leading writers about how to bring back compromise and civility, and whether we even should.”

The Dharma of Star Wars
@ Rubin Museum / 6PM, Free with museum admission, $19
“To get your galactic fix before The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, head to the Rubin Museum for The Dharma of Star Wars (also a book). The gallery tour will parse the thematic connections between Himalayan art and the world’s favorite sci-fi franchise, looking at mystical and historical examples. Plus you’ll get answers to crucial questions like whether the Buddha can use the Force and which are the Skywalkers in the museum’s collection.”  (Gothamist)

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

Here is the extensive Holiday Windows rundown from amNY.

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GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

=============================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. But quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.
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A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th St. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Not so. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

HarlHostStandNo food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip uptown to West Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in a two story, old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the front door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long (assuming you snagged a table). The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some long waits for a table at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: Mo-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:30pm
Subway: #1 to 125th St.
Walk 2 blk W on 125th St. to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway.
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a  comment. 

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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

I MEMORIALIZE THESE TWO WONDERFUL CLUBS AS A WARNING.
WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO SAVE THESE SPECIAL PLACES.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/10) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 12/10/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > TUESDAY/ DECEMBER 10, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==============================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Corelli’s Christmas Concerto
Alice Tully Hall / 7:30PM, $45+
“Arcangelo Corelli was not only history’s first truly “modern” violinist, but a musician’s musician whose compositions were performed throughout Europe during his lifetime. His “Christmas Concerto”—Fatto per la notte di Natale—is an early, Baroque age miracle of tone painting. The high drama of the Nativity scene is thrust upon the listener from the outset; the pastoral visions of nearby shepherds provide soothing contemplation at the work’s conclusion.”

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Christian McBride
>> The Lineup with Susie Mosher
>> Mike Ledonne Groover Quartet
>> Chris Botti Holiday Residency
>> New Work for Goldberg Variations
>> COMING SOON
>> COMING SOON

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

=======================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Christian McBride (Dec. 10-15)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. S./ 8:30PM, +10:30PM, $35, need to try the late sets.
“A nineties wunderkind who has fulfilled his early promise, the extraordinary bassist Christian McBride began as a staunch defender of mainstream jazz. His forays into such far-flung terrain as free improvisation and electrified funk notwithstanding, he always returns to where his heart lies. His Inside Straight ensemble is a taut quintet that includes the saxophonist Steve Wilson and the vibraphonist Warren Wolf.” (Steve Futterman, NewYorker)

The Lineup with Susie Mosher
Birdland / 9:30PM, $25
“Mosher is one of those talents you need to see to believe: warm, funny, biting, ferociously committed. In her weekly series at the downstairs Birdland Theater, she invites a gaggle of performers from Broadway and beyond to show their talents. Guests at the December 10 edition include  Debbie Gravitte, Taffy Jaffe, Eugene Ebner,, and musical director Brad Simmons.” (TONY)

Mike Ledonne Groover Quartet
Smoke, 2751 Broadway (btw 105/106th St.) / 7PM, 9PM, +10:30PM, $15
“Mike Ledonne’s splendid Groover Quartet has earned a cozy groove for itself, somewhere between fresh from the oven and the halcyon days of organ combos.

While embracing their essential groundwork on the one hand, Ledonne moves steadily forward with the other, lending a more contemporary voice to what has been a popular staple of the Jazz repertoire for well over half a century.” (All About Jazz)

Chris Botti Holiday Residency
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $55-$95, may be a tough ticket, try the late set
“This trumpet players’s skills are actually as good as his telegenic looks, even if he rarely puts them to use playing the kind of bop he cut his teeth on. A consummate showman, Botti presents his blend of smooth jazz-funk, glossily Miles-ian ballads and assorted pop and classical chestnuts at the Blue Note for his 13th annual holiday residency.” (TONY)

New Work for Goldberg Variations (Dec.10-15)
Moving to Bach.
The Joyce Theater / 7:30PM, $ may be a tough ticket, try secondary market
“In 2007, pianist Simone Dinnerstein gained notoriety for her serious, questing interpretations of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” A decade later, Dinnerstein revisted the work again, this time with choreographer Pam Tanowitz. Their collaboration, an evening-length piece for piano and seven dancers, premiered in 2017, but you can see it anew at the Joyce Theater with Dinnerstein at the keys.” (vulture.com)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

More Smart Stuff coming soon.

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

Here is the extensive Holiday Windows rundown from amNY.

==========================================================

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

===========================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

============================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art.

Here is one exhibition the Vulture (NY Magazine) likes:

One Hundred Drawings (thru Jan.18)
New work from Jasper Johns.
“Matthew Marks curates exhibitions as well or better than most museums.
Witness the dazzling, harmonic optical convergence of 100 drawings spanning three centuries, starting with a Degas from 1859-60 and a late-19th-century ink-and-gouache drawing of a tiger hunt with elephants from northern India. Pros will be astounded at unearthed treasures; art lovers are guaranteed to be transported, surprised, enraptured, and enriched.” —Jerry Saltz
Matthew Marks Gallery, 523 West 24th Street,

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For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view.

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but better plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm). OR try this NYT recommendation: “When you’re done, adjourn to the newly renovated Bottino , the Chelsea art world’s unofficial canteen on 10th Avenue (btw 24/25 St.) “

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 12/08 and 12/10.
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15 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend – NewYorkTimes (12/06/19)

Must-see theater coming to New York City stages this fall (amNY)

10 must-see Off-Broadway shows (amNY)

m

NYT Theater Reviews – NYT theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

and, drum roll, here are all the media critics opinions on all the plays – Playbill’s “the Verdict”

For good, comprehensive and current info:

Broadway Shows: What to See and How to Get Cheap Tickets (NYT)

finally, lot’s of useful info on TKTS discount tickets from the headout blog:

Everything You Need to Know About TKTS Broadway Tickets

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/09) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 12/09/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > MONDAY/ DECEMBER 09, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==============================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

Chris Botti Holiday Residency
Blue Note / 8PM, +10:30PM, $55-$95, may be a tough ticket, try the late set
“This trumpet players’s skills are actually as good as his telegenic looks, even if he rarely puts them to use playing the kind of bop he cut his teeth on. A consummate showman, Botti presents his blend of smooth jazz-funk, glossily Miles-ian ballads and assorted pop and classical chestnuts at the Blue Note for his 13th annual holiday residency.” (TONY)

========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Broadway Under the Stars
>> SHIZ
>> The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
>> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
>> Yin-Yang, Stress, and the Western Mind
>> S2019 First Novel Fête
>> Monday Night Magic

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

=======================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Broadway Under the Stars
The Shops at Columbus Circle – 10 Columbus Circle , 2nd Fl. Mezzanine / 5PM, FREE
“Select cast from today’s hottest Broadway musicals will perform against the backdrop of the destination’s famous twelve massive stars. These stars are the largest specialty crafted exhibit of illuminated color display in the world, which hang from the 100-foot-high ceilings. Performances are free to attend and open to the public, no reservations or tickets are required.”

Hosted by Actor George Psomas (Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific) Broadway performances from the casts of: Phantom of the Opera, WICKED.

SHIZ
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre / 7:30PM, $9
“Broadway characters find themselves in hot sketch-comedy waters in this monthly night of musical comedy, the brainchild of comic Matt Gehring and singer-songwiter Shaina Taub. The writer-performers include Gehring, Preston Martin, Alex Song, Mahayla Laurence, Max Ash, charisma machine Natalie Walker and ringers Joél Pérez (Fun Home) and Heath Saunders (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812). The special guests at the December 9 edition include Nikki M. James.” (TONY)

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Ave. South (btw W11th/Perry St.) / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $35
“World class big band with 16 members on that small stage, a monday night institution.
“Almost exactly half a century ago, the trumpeter-composer-arranger Thad Jones and the drummer Mel Lewis began their Monday-night big band residency at the Village Vanguard, establishing what became a hallowed tradition.” (NYT)

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25-$30
“The witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.”
“Part cabaret, part piano bar and part social set, Cast Party offers a chance to hear rising and established talents step up to the microphone (backed by the slap and tickle of Steve Doyle on bass and Billy Stritch at the ivories, plus the bang of Daniel Glass on drums). The waggish Caruso presides as host.” (TONY)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Yin-Yang, Stress, and the Western Mind
The Strand, 828 Broadway / 7PM, $20, includes complimentary beer.
Taoist healing and meditation arts practitioner Darryl Aiken-Afam leads a Think Olio session into making use of Yin, Yang, and the philosophy of the Five Elements. Find out how 3,000-year-old Taoist beliefs are relevant to the anxieties of today. (ThoughtGallery)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

2019 First Novel Fête
Revel in words.
The Center for Fiction, 15 Lafayette Ave. Bklyn./ 6:30PM, $45
“Since 2006, the Center for Fiction has honored the best debut novels of the year. On December 9, it celebrates this year’s shortlist — Chia-Chia Lin (The Unpassing), Julia Phillips (Disappearing Earth), Pitchaya Sudbanthad (Bangkok Wakes to Rain), Ocean Vuong (On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous), Joe Wilkins (Fall Back Down When I Die), Lauren Wilkinson (American Spy), and De’Shawn Charles Winslow (In West Mills) — and all the authors will be reading. What a treat.” (Vulture, NYMag)

Monday Night Magic
Players Theatre, West Village / 8PM, $42.50
“For more than two decades,, this proudly old-school series has offered a different lineup of professional magicians every week: opening acts, a headliner and a host, plus two or three close-up magicians to wow the audience at intermission. Housed for the past seven years at the unprepossessing Players Theatre, it is an heir to the vaudeville tradition.

Many of the acts incorporate comedic elements, and audience participation is common. (If you have young children, bring them; they make especially adorable assistants.) Shows cost just $37.50 in advance and typically last well over two hours, so you get a lot of value and variety for your magic dollar. In contrast to some fancier magic shows, this one feels like comfort food: an all-you-can eat buffet to which you’re encouraged to return until you’re as stuffed as a hat full of rabbits.” (TONY)

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

Here is the extensive Holiday Windows rundown from amNY.

==========================================================

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

===========================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/9 Pixies, Webster Hall
12/9 Cautious Clay, Brooklyn Steel
12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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A PremierPub / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 55th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $9.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk: 1 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:
==============================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

============================================================

Bonus: Nifty 9 – Best Cabarets / Piano Bars NYCity
These are my favorite places for an after dinner night on the town – music and drinks.
Hit the Hot Link and check out what’s happening tonight:

Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W 54th St.

The Green Room 42 – 570 Tenth Ave.

Don’t Tell Mama – 343 W 46th St.

The Triad – 158 W72nd Street (btw Amsterdam/Columbus Ave.)

Laurie Beechman Theatre – 407 W 42nd St.

Marie’s Crisis – 59 Grove St.

The Rum House, in the Hotel Edison – 228 W. 47th St.

The Duplex – 61 Christopher St.

Cafe Carlyle, in the Carlyle Hotel – 35 E. 76th St.
This is the only one not located on Manhattan’s WestSide, and it ain’t cheap, but it has some of the finest singers.

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

 

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 12/08/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > SUNDAY/ DECEMBER 08, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==============================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

BUSTER WILLIAMS QUARTET
at Smoke / 7 and 9 p.m.; $38
“Among the most storied living jazz musicians, this bassist has performed with the likes of Nancy Wilson, Herbie Hancock, the Jazz Crusaders and countless others. At 77, he often appears nowadays as a bandleader, funneling his decades of broad-ranging experience into a style that’s firmly rooted in straight-ahead jazz but deeply flexible and funky. He performs this weekend with the same all-star quartet featured on his 2018 album, “Audacity”: Steve Wilson on saxophone, George Colligan on piano and Lenny White on drums. The group will likely play some of Williams’s pithy, melodic originals featured on that album.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

========================================================

7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The Queen of Spades
>> JOHNATHAN BLAKE AND PENTAD
>> Masterworks Series – Johnny Gandelsman
>> “Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes” Podcast Tour
>> Deck the Stalls Holiday Market
>> Shop for offbeat gifts at the Oddities Flea Market
>> Fruit and Grain: a Beer and Cider Festival

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

=======================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Metropolitan Opera
The Queen of Spades (next Dec.14 1PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 3PM, $103+
“Tchaikovsky’s eerie thriller of imperial Russia has its first performances at the Met since 2011. Tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko is Hermann, the fanatical gambler whose obsession with a powerful secret drives him to madness. Soprano Lise Davidsen makes her highly anticipated Met debut as his long-suffering lover, Lisa, with mezzo-soprano Larissa Diadkova as the otherworldly Countess. Baritone Igor Golovatenko is Yeletsky, baritone Alexey Markov is Tomsky, and Vasily Petrenko conducts.”

JOHNATHAN BLAKE AND PENTAD
at the Village Vanguard / 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.; $35
“Blake, a drummer, has long been one of jazz’s more respected sidemen, working regularly with luminaries like Kenny Barron and Tom Harrell. But he’s also kept an equally rich (if far quieter) career track running alongside as a bandleader. Earlier this year, he put out the remarkable trio album “Trion,” and soon after he unveiled Pentad, a quintet featuring Immanuel Wilkins on alto saxophone, David Virelles on piano, Joel Ross on vibraphone and Dezron Douglas on bass. This weekend that group is at the Vanguard, where Blake is making his bandleading debut. (Kris Davis will fill in for Virelles from Friday through Sunday.)” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Masterworks Series – Johnny Gandelsman
Bargemusic, Fulton Ferry Landing / 4PM, $35
“When you’re a violinist who has mastered and recorded a personal interpretation of Bach’s foundational sonatas and partitas, a question arises: What next? Johnny Gandelsman, an unconventional virtuoso known for his work with the Silk Road Project and Brooklyn Rider, opts for a path less travelled. In two Bargemusic recitals, on Friday and Sunday, he appropriates and adapts the composer’s equally monumental Suites for Solo Cello.” (Steve Smith, NewYorker)

=========================================================

Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

“Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes” Podcast Tour
The Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St./ 7PM, $45+
“MSNBC’s Chris Hayes will record his podcast “Why Is This Happening?” in front of a live audience at The Town Hall in New York City. Chris will be joined by special guests Tony Kushner, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Angels in America, and Jeremy O. Harris, actor and playwright of Slave Play. They’ll engage in a wide-ranging conversation about politics, spectacle and storytelling during these surreal times.” (ThoughtGallery)

Deck the Stalls Holiday Market
Shop New York City’s public markets
Fulton Stall Market, 91 South St./ 11am-5pm, Free to peruse; food and drink available for purchase.
“At the “Deck the Stalls” holiday market, the best of NYC’s public markets come together to create a winter tradition. Sip some New York-grown Nine Pin cider, snack on the East Harlem-made and Beirut-inspired Maha Chocolate, watch a lion dance performance from the New York Chinese Freemasons, and see a sculpture get carved from a hunk of ice. Shop for holiday gifts, listen to live music, and explore the breadth of New York City’s public markets.” (thrillist)

Fruit and Grain: a Beer and Cider Festival
Sip spiked ciders for a cause
849 6th Ave. 2nd Fi./ 12-5PM, GA tickets are $75 and include unlimited tastings; food available for purchase
“The Fruit and Grain festival gathers more than 60 breweries, cideries, and distilleries from all over New York state under one roof. You can sip beers and ciders, rock out to a live DJ, play Mario Kart and cornhole, and then go back for even more beer and cider. A portion of the ticket sales — and all profits from merch sales — will go towards the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Immigration and Legal Services, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved communities.” (thrillist)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Shop for offbeat gifts at the Oddities Flea Market
“At an event curated by Ryan Matthew Cohn of Science Channel’s “Oddities” and produced by his spouse Regina Cohn (both pictured), this “Holiday of Wonders” market gives those looking for holiday gifts a chance to find the offbeat, unusual and unexpected. Items range from anatomical curios and art inspired by the dark side of life to taxidermy, jewelry and medical history ephemera. Take a break from browsing by dining on wood-fired pizzas from Roberta’s ( robertaspizza.com).” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 7-8; Villain LLC, 307 Kent Ave, Brooklyn
INFO $30; theodditiesfleamarket.com

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

—————————————————————————————————-

Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

Here is the extensive Holiday Windows rundown from amNY.

==========================================================

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

===========================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/8 Crooked Still, Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/9 Pixies, Webster Hall
12/9 Cautious Clay, Brooklyn Steel
12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

=================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

============================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
These are My Fave Special Exhibitions @ MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

‘ARTISTIC LICENSE: SIX TAKES ON THE GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION’  (through Jan. 12). “Displays that artists select from a museum’s collection are almost inevitably interesting, revealing and valuable. After all, artists can be especially discerning regarding work not their own. Here, six artists — Cai Guo-Qiang, Paul Chan, Richard Prince, Julie Mehretu, Carrie Mae Weens and Jenny Holzer — guided by specific themes, have chosen, which multiplies the impact accordingly. With one per ramp, each selection turns the museum inside out. The combination sustains multiple visits; the concept should be applied regularly.” (NYT-Roberta Smith)
212-423-3840, guggenheim.org

Neue Galerie

ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER (through Jan. 13).

“You could be forgiven for drawing a connection between Kirchner’s shocking color palette and his character. It would be understandable enough, considering his problems with morphine, Veronal and absinthe; the nervous breakdown precipitated by his artillery training in World War I; and his suicide in 1938, at the age of 58, after the Nazis had denounced him as a degenerate. But to linger on Kirchner’s lurid biography would be unfair to the mesmerizing technical genius of his style, amply on display in this exhibition. Surrounding more or less sober portrait subjects with backgrounds of flat but brilliant color, as Kirchner did, wasn’t just a youthful revolt against the staid academic painting he grew up with. It was also an ingenious way to articulate subjective experience in an increasingly materialist modern world. (NYT-Heinrich)
neuegalerie.org

Jewish Museum

‘SCENES FROM THE COLLECTION’

“After a surgical renovation to its grand pile on Fifth Avenue, the Jewish Museum has reopened its third-floor galleries with a rethought and refreshed display of its permanent collection, which intermingles modern and contemporary art, by Jews and gentiles alike — Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, and the excellent young Nigerian draftswoman Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze — with 4,000 years of Judaica. The works are shown in a nimble, non-chronological suite of galleries, and some of its century-spanning juxtapositions are bracing; others feel reductive, even dilletantish. But always, the Jewish Museum conceives of art and religion as interlocking elements of a story of civilization, commendably open to new influences and new interpretations.” (Farago) 212-423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

Museum of the City of New York

NY AT ITS CORE (ongoing)
“Ten years in the making, New York at Its Core tells the compelling story of New York’s rise from a striving Dutch village to today’s “Capital of the World.” The exhibition captures the human energy that drove New York to become a city like no other and a subject of fascination the world over. Entertaining, inspiring, important, and at times bemusing, New York City “big personalities,” including Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, Boss Tweed, Emma Goldman, JP Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z, and dozens more, parade through the exhibition. Visitors will also learn the stories of lesser-known New York personalities, like Lenape chieftain Penhawitz and Italian immigrant Susie Rocco. Even animals like the horse, the pig, the beaver, and the oyster, which played pivotal roles in the economy and daily life of New York, get their moment in the historical spotlight. Occupying the entire first floor in three interactive galleries (Port City, 1609-1898, World City, 1898-2012, and Future City Lab) New York at Its Core is shaped by four themes: money, density, diversity, and creativity. Together, they provide a lens for examining the character of the city, and underlie the modern global metropolis we know today. mcny.org” (NYCity Guide)

and you should be sure to check out these special exhibitions at that little museum on Fifth Ave., The Metropolitan Museum of Art
(open 7 days /week, AND always Pay What You Wish for NewYorkers)

‘THE LAST KNIGHT: THE ART, ARMOR, AND AMBITION OF MAXIMILIAN I’ (through Jan. 5).

“Kaiser Max, who ruled the Holy Roman Empire in the years around 1500, anchors the Met’s largest show of arms and armor in decades: a gleaming showcase of heavy metal and Hapsburg propaganda. Maximilian I, who ruled a swath of Europe stretching from the Netherlands to Croatia, would have looked resplendent on the battlefield when he wore the tapered suit of ribbed and fluted steel here. What really broadcast his power were public spectacles of chivalric glory, in which he jousted with local noblemen and foreign champions in ritualized, but still dangerous, mock combat. He also embraced the hottest technology of the late 15th century: printmaking, which allowed the emperor to broadcast his military prowess through books and monumental woodcuts. The pen, or at least movable type, was for Maximilian even mightier than the sword.” (Farago-NYT)
212-535-7710, metmuseum.org

GD: this is a good one. you have to see it.

===========================================================
Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
•  92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
•  91st Street  –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
•  89th Street –  National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
•  88th Street –  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
•  86th Street –  Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
•  82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW) for NewYorkers

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (Wed 2-6pm PWYW; First Friday each month (exc Jan+Sep) 6-9pm FREE) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 12/06 and 12/04.
==============================================================

15 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend – NewYorkTimes (12/06/19)

Must-see theater coming to New York City stages this fall (amNY)

10 must-see Off-Broadway shows (amNY)

m

NYT Theater Reviews – NYT theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

and, drum roll, here are all the critics opinions on all the plays – Playbill’s “the Verdict”

For good, comprehensive and current info:

Broadway Shows: What to See and How to Get Cheap Tickets (NYT)

finally, lot’s of useful info on TKTS discount tickets from the headout blog:

Everything You Need to Know About TKTS Broadway Tickets 

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/07) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 12/07/2019 by

Today’s Super 7 NYC Events > SATURDAY/ DECEMBER 07, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

==============================================================

Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

The Blind Boys of Alabama
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th St./ 8PM, $62
“The beloved gospel ensemble the Blind Boys of Alabama originated in 1939, when the singers were students at a Talladega institute for blind children. Three of its founders were still dazzling audiences at the start of this millennium, but death has since thinned those ranks to one—the charismatic Jimmy Carter, now surrounded by younger recruits. Despite being a legacy act saddled with an antediluvian moniker of a thousand squirms, the group remains perennially fresh, whether it’s interjecting godliness into unexpected songs or, as in this case, saluting Christmas.” (Jay Ruttenberg, NewYorker)

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6 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> ‘AKHNATEN’
>> Mary Halvorson
>> GAMELAN KUSUMA LARAS
>> The Hold Steady
>> Shop for offbeat gifts at the Oddities Flea Market
>> Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum: Best of the Borough

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

=======================================================

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

‘AKHNATEN’ (LAST CHANCE)
at the Metropolitan Opera / 7:30p.m.; $
“Phelim McDermott’s take on Philip Glass’s opera, originally produced by the English National Opera and the L.A. Opera, arrives in New York, with the superlative countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo in the title role. He is joined by J’Nai Bridges as Nefertiti, Disella Larusdottir as Queen Tye, Aaron Blake as the High Priest of Amon, Will Liverman as Horemhab, Richard Bernstein as Aye, Zachary James as Amenhotep III, and a troupe of acrobats and jugglers. Karen Kamensek conducts.” (NYT-David Allen)

Mary Halvorson (Dec. 3-7)
The Stone at the New School, 55 W. 13th St./ 8:30 p.m.; $20
“It’s hard to sum up this experimental guitarist in a simple word like “influential”: Her choppy, crinkled, effects-pedal-laden style is too singular to be widely replicated. But now more than ever, there is no denying the status of Halvorson — who received a 2019 MacArthur fellowship in September — as a leading figure in jazz. Next week she will take a victory lap at the Stone, a familiar stomping ground, alongside a few longtime collaborators: On Tuesday she plays in a duet with the remarkable Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier; on Wednesday and Dec. 5 she brings different trios each night; and on Dec. 6 and 7 she appears with her quintet Code Girl, which released a critically lauded album last year.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

Elsewhere, but these two are easy subway trips and look worth the detour:

RBA: GAMELAN KUSUMA LARAS with I.M. HARJITO | Music and Dance of Java
Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave. Bklyn. / 8PM, $30
Gamelan Kusuma Laras is a group that specializes in courtly Javanese repertoire under the direction of the renowned I. M. Harjito.

GD: I am a trained Gamelan player, and if you are not familiar with classic gamelan music, you must give this a shot.

The Hold Steady (Dec.4-7)
Veterans at work.
Brooklyn Bowl / 8PM, $45
Brooklyn indie rockers decided to start a band after seeing Martin Scorsese’s Thanksgiving rock doc The Last Waltz. Seven studio albums in, they’re a rock-and-roll institution in their own right, thanks to a wellspring of anthemic grooves and lead singer Craig Finn’s detailed storytelling. In 2016, the band came home for a run of shows to celebrate 2006’s Boys and Girls in America; it’s now an annual tradition.” (NYMag,-C.J.)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

Elsewhere, but this is always worth the detour:

Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum: Best of the Borough
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway (Washington Ave.) / 5-11PM, FREE
“The Brooklyn Museum throws its monthly First Saturday fete, this one keeping it local for the “Best of the Borough,” including a 5pm Latin music kick off courtesy of Los Hacheros. As “modern-day torchbearers of the golden age of Latin music,” Los Hacheros infuse the folkloric styles of son montuno, guaracha, and salsa with bomba rhythms.

For twenty years, First Saturdays have been the freshest place to kick off the month. To ensure the safety of visitors and to comply with city fire codes, starting at 5 pm, please enter through the front of the Museum. Keep in mind that there could be lines for entry and that the museum may have to limit entry when we reach maximum capacity.” (ThoughtGallery)

Shop for offbeat gifts at the Oddities Flea Market
“At an event curated by Ryan Matthew Cohn of Science Channel’s “Oddities” and produced by his spouse Regina Cohn (both pictured), this “Holiday of Wonders” market gives those looking for holiday gifts a chance to find the offbeat, unusual and unexpected. Items range from anatomical curios and art inspired by the dark side of life to taxidermy, jewelry and medical history ephemera. Take a break from browsing by dining on wood-fired pizzas from Roberta’s ( robertaspizza.com).” (Newsday)
WHEN | WHERE 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 7-8; Villain LLC, 307 Kent Ave, Brooklyn
INFO $30; theodditiesfleamarket.com

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

==========================================================

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

===========================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/7 The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show, Concert Hall at the NY Society for Ethical Culture
12/8 Crooked Still, Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/9 Pixies, Webster Hall
12/9 Cautious Clay, Brooklyn Steel
12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’. ”

maxresdefaultEach night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of fairly priced wines,  but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. Their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYCity will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

CAFFE VIVALDI HAS CLOSED, VERY SAD.
I HAVE LEFT THIS REVIEW ON MY SITE AS A KIND OF MEMORIAL and A WARNING. WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO SAVE THESE SPECIAL PLACES.

As reported in the “Gothamist”:
“Caffe Vivaldi, one of the last bohemian bastions of the West Village, is set to close this weekend. During its 35 years on Jones Street, the casual cafe won the hearts of locals and celebs alike, including Oscar Isaac, Bette Midler, and Al Pacino.

Despite that friendly communal atmosphere, the owners ultimately struggled to survive under their notorious vulture landlord Steve Croman, who they say waged a harassment campaign against the restaurant, and eventually tripled their rent.”
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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St. (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $9 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S. (corner of Bleecker St.)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th St. (btw. University Place/5th ave.)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Square park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

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“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
No reservations needed.
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NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24,000 eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available SPRING 2020).
◊ Order before MAY. 31, 2020 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

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Bonus NYC Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite non jazz music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:

City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
Town Hall – 123 W43rd St., thetownhall.org, 212-997-6661
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
and one more, not quite WestSide
Bowery Ballroom – 6 Delancey St. boweryballroom.comFor a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening discovery and enjoyment.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.

I MEMORIALIZE THIS WONDERFUL CLUB AS A WARNING.
WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO SAVE THESE SPECIAL PLACES.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/06) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 12/06/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > FRIDAY/ DECEMBER 06, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

‘DIASPORA SONGS’
at Carnegie Hall / 8 p.m.; $29+
“The Beninese vocalist Angélique Kidjo curated this major concert, and put the trumpeter Terence Blanchard in charge of its musical direction. The program that these two Grammy-winning artists have assembled addresses the broad range of music that has emerged from the African diaspora in roughly the past century: jazz, gospel, Afrobeat, Afro-Caribbean, hip-hop and much more. Performers will include Blanchard’s quintet, the E-Collective; the breakout New Orleans band Tank and the Bangas; the pianist and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bandleader Jon Batiste; and members of the RAREdancework performance group.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> Masterworks Series – Johnny Gandelsman
>> SHE & HIM
>> The Hold Steady
>> ‘Bob Dylan
>> Mary Halvorson
>> The Body/The Self: An Out-Of-Body Experience with Sightline Arts
>> Fashion Speak Fridays: 1950s in Vogue

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Elsewhere, but these three are easy subway trips and look worth the detour:

Masterworks Series – Johnny Gandelsman
Bargemusic, Fulton Ferry Landing / 7PM, $35
“When you’re a violinist who has mastered and recorded a personal interpretation of Bach’s foundational sonatas and partitas, a question arises: What next? Johnny Gandelsman, an unconventional virtuoso known for his work with the Silk Road Project and Brooklyn Rider, opts for a path less travelled. In two Bargemusic recitals, on Friday and Sunday, he appropriates and adapts the composer’s equally monumental Suites for Solo Cello.” (Steve Smith, NewYorker)

SHE & HIM
at Kings Theater / 8 p.m.; $40
“Holiday music is, almost invariably, laden with nostalgia; this folk-pop pair are natural proprietors of the stuff. Together, the duo of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel sing and play in sepia tones, drawing from a repertoire that includes both originals and classics culled across decades. She & Him’s penchant for covers has led them to record two albums’ worth of Christmas standards, on which they pay homage to holiday giants from Irving Berlin to Mariah Carey. Their renditions of these festive tunes wouldn’t sound out of place piping from an antique radio; in lieu of that option, you can see them performed live on Friday at this palatial theater in Flatbush, Brooklyn.” (OLIVIA HORN, NYT)

The Hold Steady (Dec.4-7)
Veterans at work.
Brooklyn Bowl / 8PM, $45
Brooklyn indie rockers decided to start a band after seeing Martin Scorsese’s Thanksgiving rock doc The Last Waltz. Seven studio albums in, they’re a rock-and-roll institution in their own right, thanks to a wellspring of anthemic grooves and lead singer Craig Finn’s detailed storytelling. In 2016, the band came home for a run of shows to celebrate 2006’s Boys and Girls in America; it’s now an annual tradition.” (NYMag,-C.J.)

Bob Dylan (LAST DAY)
Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway / 8PM, $99+
“Bob Dylan famously maintains a restless touring schedule that renders him a nomad for much of the year but often returns him to the place of his artistic birth; this year, he settles in for a whopping ten-night stand. Among rock élites, Dylan remains peerless. His concerts are strictly pander-free zones—no cheesy pleas to clap or sing along, no glut of backup musicians, usually no “Like a Rolling Stone.” Rather, Dylan asks audiences to ignore his legend and engage with his firecracker band, its every elegant rumble rooted to the present.” (Jay Ruttenberg, NewYorker)

Mary Halvorson (Dec. 3-7)
The Stone at the New School, 55 W. 13th St./ 8:30 p.m.; $20
“It’s hard to sum up this experimental guitarist in a simple word like “influential”: Her choppy, crinkled, effects-pedal-laden style is too singular to be widely replicated. But now more than ever, there is no denying the status of Halvorson — who received a 2019 MacArthur fellowship in September — as a leading figure in jazz. Next week she will take a victory lap at the Stone, a familiar stomping ground, alongside a few longtime collaborators: On Tuesday she plays in a duet with the remarkable Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier; on Wednesday and Dec. 5 she brings different trios each night; and on Dec. 6 and 7 she appears with her quintet Code Girl, which released a critically lauded album last year.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

The Body/The Self: An Out-Of-Body Experience with Sightline Arts
The Greene Space, 44 Charlton St./ 7PM, $20
“Have an out-of-body experience as The Greene Space hosts The Body/The Self, which brings together theatre and tech to force new perspectives on participants. Take part yourself or just watch and learn.

How much of the way that other people perceive the words you say depends on way you look and sound as you say them? What if you could change your race, your sex, and your age to be heard differently?

We’re doing that tonight using a new blend of theater and tech called Second Body, with audience volunteers paired with performers for a unique chance to express themselves through someone else and explore all the emotions the experience can provide.

Sign up early to take part in a Second Body experience yourself from 6 to 7pm (sign-ups will be available shortly). Or be there at 7pm for live demonstration and performance, followed by discussion of identity and the body with academics, artists and thought leaders.” (ThoughtGallery)

Fashion Speak Fridays: 1950s in Vogue
The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park S./ 7PM, FREE
“Join fashion historian Rebecca Tuite for an evening on American Vogue’s most enigmatic editor-in-chef, Jessica Daves, and a fascinating moment in the magazine’s history.

Appointed editor-in-chief in 1952, Daves began a decade-long effort to elevate the world’s most influential fashion magazine to new standards. Daves’s Vogue was the first to embrace a “high/low” blend of fashion, offering a complete vision of how other areas of modern life contributed to defining taste and style, and profiling contemporary style-icons, from John and Jackie Kennedy to Charles and Ray Eames.”

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

==========================================================

GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

===========================================================

COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/5-6 Bob Dylan, Beacon Theatre
12/6 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute, Symphony Space
12/7 The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show, Concert Hall at the NY Society for Ethical Culture
12/8 Crooked Still, Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/9 Pixies, Webster Hall
12/9 Cautious Clay, Brooklyn Steel
12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

==========================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of exhibitions)

‘BETYE SAAR: THE LEGENDS OF “BLACK GIRL’S WINDOW”’ at the Museum of Modern Art (through Jan. 4).

“Black Girl’s Window,” which consists of an old window frame that Saar filled with a constellation of images, is the focus of this exhibition, one of several helping to reopen MoMA. Concentrating on Saar’s early years as an artist, it tracks the experiments in printmaking and assemblage that led her to arrive at the titular work. Despite the unusual color of the gallery’s deep purple walls, the show is relatively modest — a scholarly study of a specific period, anchored by MoMA’s recent acquisition of a group of 42 of her works on paper. Two pieces from 1972 that represent her shift from the mystical to the political — “Black Crows in the White Section Only,” which brings together a variety of racist advertisements, and “Let Me Entertain You,” which shows a minstrel singer with a guitar transforming into a black liberation fighter with a rifle — serve as a kind of coda. Their appearance at the end offers a tantalizing glimpse of the iconoclastic artist Saar was on her way to becoming. (Jillian Steinhauer-NYT)
212-708-9400, moma.org

‘T. REX: THE ULTIMATE PREDATOR’
American Museum of Natural History (through Aug. 9, 2020).

“Everyone’s favorite 18,000-pound prehistoric killer gets the star treatment in this eye-opening exhibition, which presents the latest scientific research on T. rex and also introduces many other tyrannosaurs, some discovered only this century in China and Mongolia. T. rex evolved mainly during the Cretaceous Period to have keen eyes, spindly arms and massive conical teeth, which could bear down on prey with the force of a U-Haul truck; the dinosaur could even swallow whole bones, as affirmed here by a kid-friendly display of fossilized excrement. The show mixes 66-million-year-old teeth with the latest 3-D prints of dino bones, and also presents new models of T. rex as a baby, a juvenile and a full-grown annihilator. Turns out this most savage beast was covered with — believe it! — a soft coat of beige or white feathers.” (Farago-NYT)

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‘AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY’
at the Museum of Jewish Heritage (through Jan. 3).
“Killing as a communal business, made widely lucrative by the Third Reich, permeates this traveling exhibition about the largest German death camp, Auschwitz, whose yawning gatehouse, with its converging rail tracks, has become emblematic of the Holocaust. Well timed, during a worldwide surge of anti-Semitism, the harrowing installation strives, successfully, for fresh relevance. The exhibition illuminates the topography of evil, the deliberate designing of a hell on earth by fanatical racists and compliant architects and provisioners, while also highlighting the strenuous struggle for survival in a place where, as Primo Levi learned, “there is no why.” (NYT-Ralph Blumenthal)

In the Company of Harold Prince
A prince with no heir.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (through March 31)

“Losing Hal Prince this year meant the end of an era. No other producer-director will ever again have Prince’s string of stupendous hits; no one man will ever again become so closely identified with Broadway stagecraft. He worked on everything, from West Side Story to The Phantom of the Opera, from Cabaret to Sweeney Todd, and if not everything he touched turned to gold — nonetheless, he did have the golden touch. This exhibition at the NYPL is a dragon’s hoard of scripts, photographs, set models, and even re-creations of his paperwork. Study it closely and you might become the next great theatrical mind … if not a Prince, then possibly a really talented duchess.” (Vulture, NY Magazine-H.S.)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 12/04 and 12/02.

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15 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend – NewYorkTimes (12/06/19)

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Must-see theater coming to New York City stages this fall (amNY)

10 must-see Off-Broadway shows (amNY)

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NYT Theater Reviews – NYT theater critics on the plays and musicals currently open in New York City.

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and, drum roll, here are all the media critics opinions on all the plays – Playbill’s “the Verdict”

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For good, comprehensive and current info:

Broadway Shows: What to See and How to Get Cheap Tickets (NYT)

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finally, lot’s of useful info on TKTS discount tickets from the headout blog:

Everything You Need to Know About TKTS Broadway Tickets

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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NYC Events,”Only the Best” (12/05) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 12/05/2019 by

Today’s Elite 8 NYC Events > THURSDAY/ DECEMBER 05, 2019

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.

For future NYC Events, check the tab above:  “December NYC Events”
It’s the most comprehensive list of top events this month that you will find anywhere.
Carefully curated from “Only the Best” NYC event info on the the web, it’s a simply superb resource that will help you plan your NYC visit all over town, all through the month.

OR to make your own after dinner plans TONIGHT, see the tab above;  “LiveMusic.”

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Have time for only one NYC Event today? Do This:

NY Philharmonic Open Rehearsal (next Thu. Dec.5)
David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center / 9:45AM, $22
An Open Rehearsal is a fascinating opportunity to watch the New York Philharmonic at work, and see how a piece of music is shaped and polished by the conductor and the musicians. All Open Rehearsals are “working” rehearsals and therefore the program may not be played in its entirety.

Today: Bronfman and Beethoven
Yefim Bronfman brings his brilliance and power to Beethoven’s sublime Piano Concerto No. 4. From the same composer, Maestro van Zweden conducts the jubilant, high-spirited Second Symphony that foreshadows the power and drive we associate with Beethoven. Steve Reich’s propulsive new work pays homage to the Baroque concerto grosso.
Program to Include
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Steve Reich: Music for Ensemble and Orchestra
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4

Open Rehearsals begin at 9:45 AM (except where noted) in David Geffen Hall, and end at approximately 12:30 PM (sometimes extending to 1 PM, at the discretion of the conductor).

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7 OTHER TOP NYC EVENTS TODAY (see below for full listing)
>> The Queen of Spades
>> The Hold Steady
>> Jokes and Jazz with Sheila Anderson & Wali Collins
>> ‘Bob Dylan
>> Mary Halvorson
>> The Ultimate NYC Trivia Night
>> Book Signing with Gloria Steinem

You may want to look at previous days posts for events that continue through today.

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Music, Dance, Performing Arts

The Metropolitan Opera
The Queen of Spades (next Dec.8, 3PM)
Metropolitan Opera House / 7:30PM, $103+
“Tchaikovsky’s eerie thriller of imperial Russia has its first performances at the Met since 2011. Tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko is Hermann, the fanatical gambler whose obsession with a powerful secret drives him to madness. Soprano Lise Davidsen makes her highly anticipated Met debut as his long-suffering lover, Lisa, with mezzo-soprano Larissa Diadkova as the otherworldly Countess. Baritone Igor Golovatenko is Yeletsky, baritone Alexey Markov is Tomsky, and Vasily Petrenko conducts.”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

The Hold Steady (Dec.4-7)
Veterans at work.
Brooklyn Bowl / 8PM, $45
Brooklyn indie rockers decided to start a band after seeing Martin Scorsese’s Thanksgiving rock doc The Last Waltz. Seven studio albums in, they’re a rock-and-roll institution in their own right, thanks to a wellspring of anthemic grooves and lead singer Craig Finn’s detailed storytelling. In 2016, the band came home for a run of shows to celebrate 2006’s Boys and Girls in America; it’s now an annual tradition.” (NYMag,-C.J.)

Jokes and Jazz with Sheila Anderson & Wali Collins
Atrium @ Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
“Enjoy hilarious stand-up comedy in between sets of some of the country’s most talented musicians. WBGO jazz radio personality Sheila Anderson hosts this dynamic evening, joined by international headlining comedian Wali Collins. Take in Anderson’s wit and charm as she showcases the Willerm Delisfort Trio that she handpicked herself. Funnyman Wali Collins and two of his fellow headlining comedians—Joe DeVito and Joyelle Nikki Johnson— will provide the belly laughs to make it a night to remember.”

Bob Dylan (thru Dec.6)
Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway / 8PM, $99+
“Bob Dylan famously maintains a restless touring schedule that renders him a nomad for much of the year but often returns him to the place of his artistic birth; this year, he settles in for a whopping ten-night stand. Among rock élites, Dylan remains peerless. His concerts are strictly pander-free zones—no cheesy pleas to clap or sing along, no glut of backup musicians, usually no “Like a Rolling Stone.” Rather, Dylan asks audiences to ignore his legend and engage with his firecracker band, its every elegant rumble rooted to the present.” (Jay Ruttenberg, NewYorker)

Mary Halvorson (Dec. 3-7)
The Stone at the New School, 55 W. 13th St./ 8:30 p.m.; $20
“It’s hard to sum up this experimental guitarist in a simple word like “influential”: Her choppy, crinkled, effects-pedal-laden style is too singular to be widely replicated. But now more than ever, there is no denying the status of Halvorson — who received a 2019 MacArthur fellowship in September — as a leading figure in jazz. Next week she will take a victory lap at the Stone, a familiar stomping ground, alongside a few longtime collaborators: On Tuesday she plays in a duet with the remarkable Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier; on Wednesday and Dec. 5 she brings different trios each night; and on Dec. 6 and 7 she appears with her quintet Code Girl, which released a critically lauded album last year.” (NYT-GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO)

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Smart Stuff / Other NYC EventS

The Ultimate NYC Trivia Night
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave./ 6:30PM, $15
“The Museum of the City of New York and the Gotham Center for New York City History present a night of trivia inspired by the city we know best. From architecture and art to transportation and pop culture, we’ll put your knowledge of NYC to the test in categories spanning the city’s epic 400-year history. Prizes will be awarded to top teams!”

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:

Book Signing with Gloria Steinem
Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“Join Gloria Steinem for a book signing of her latest release, which gathers key quotes from decades of struggle. In addition to Steinem’s own thoughts on categories like relationships, the patriarchy, and activism, the book includes quotes from prominent friends.”

Continuing Events

NYC holiday markets – five to explore.  (Newsday)

HOLIDAY SHOPS AT BRYANT PARK

WHEN | WHERE Oct. 31-Jan. 5, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 40th Street and Sixth Avenue
INFO bryantpark.org/eat-drink/holiday-shops

UNION SQUARE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 21-Dec. 24, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Union Square Park’s southern side
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

COLUMBUS CIRCLE HOLIDAY MARKET

WHEN | WHERE Dec. 4-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 59th Street and Central Park West
INFO urbanspacenyc.com

GRAND CENTRAL HOLIDAY FAIR

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 18-Dec. 24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday (closed Thanksgiving; open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Christmas Eve), Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd St.
INFO grandcentralterminal.com

GRAND BAZAAR NYC

WHEN | WHERE Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 100 W. 77th St.
INFO grandbazaarnyc.org

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Holiday windows in NYC you won’t want to miss

“‘Tis the season! As Thanksgiving draws near, New York City’s department stores are unveiling their holiday windows. Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, American Girl and others are each putting their festive foot forward for the holidays.” (amNY)

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GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER
NEW YORK CITY BALLET (THRU Jan.5)
NYS Theater, Lincoln Center/ TODAY: 2PM, +8PM,; $95+
“’Twas the day after Thanksgiving and all through the land, ballet companies began trotting out productions of “The Nutcracker,” a holiday dance tradition most grand. And in New York, the grandest among them is City Ballet’s, formally known as “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,” which has been performed since 1954. That title rightly emphasizes this version’s secret weapon: Act II’s glorious choreography, particularly the breathtaking final pas de deux between the Sugarplum Fairy and her cavalier. Act I has its own virtuosic feat in the form of a supersize Christmas tree, which captures all the magic and wonder of this familiar tale.” (NYT-Brian Schaefer)

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COMING SOON (WFUV)

12/5-6 Bob Dylan, Beacon Theatre
12/6 39th Annual John Lennon Tribute, Symphony Space
12/7 The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show, Concert Hall at the NY Society for Ethical Culture
12/8 Crooked Still, Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/9 Pixies, Webster Hall
12/9 Cautious Clay, Brooklyn Steel
12/10 Holiday Cheer for FUV with Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff, Yola and special guests, Beacon Theatre
12/11 Ingrid Michaelson, (le) Poisson Rouge

Fall Concerts (nycgo.com)

David Byrne’s American Utopia on Broadway
October 4­, 2019–January 19, 2020
Hudson Theatre
“The Talking Heads frontman hits Broadway with a show based on his latest album—but you can expect some old favorites as well.”

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♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, plus dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of  8.6 million, had a record 65 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2019 – the ninth consecutive year. BUT quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats for these top NYC events in advance, even if just earlier on the day of performance.

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A PremierPub / Midtown West

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.
(Alas, no more. After 10 years, “Jersey Boys” finally closed, now it’s “Mean Girls.”)

lThose in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).
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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a younger, trimmer piano man. “Tiny” we miss you.

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).
If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.

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Bonus Live Music  – NYC Jazz Clubs:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. My favorite Jazz Clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide, feature top talent every night of the week.
Hit the Hot Link and check out who is playing tonight:

Greenwich Village:
(4 are underground, classic jazz joints. all 6 are within walking distance of each other):
Village Vanguard – UG, 178 7th Ave. So., villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037 (1st 8:30)
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592 (1st set 8pm)
55 Bar – basement @55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883 (1st 7pm)
Mezzrow – basement @ 163 W10th St. nr 7th Ave. mezzrow.com,646-476-4346 (1st 8)
Smalls – basement @ 183 W10th St. smallslive.com, 646-476-4346 (1st set 7:30pm)
The Stone at The New School – 55 w13 St. (btw 6/5 ave) – thestonenyc.com (8:30PM)

Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595 (1st set 7:30pm)
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080 (1st 8:30pm)
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com/ 212-864-6662 (7pm)
Jazz Standard – 116 E27 St. (btw Park/Lex) – jazzstandard.com – (1st set 7:30)

For a comprehensive list of the best places to hear All Types of Live Music in Manhattan see the tab above “LiveMusic.”

In Memoriam:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538 (1st 7pm)
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprised with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It was my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.
Alas, Caffe V is no more, another victim of a rapacious NYC landlord. Owner Ishrat fought the good fight and Caffe V will be sorely missed.
Cornelia Street Cafe – UG, 29 Cornelia St. corneliastreetcafe.com, 212-989-9319
And more recently we have lost Cornelia Street Cafe. After 41 years, it too became another victim of an unreasonable rent increase.

I MEMORIALIZE THESE TWO WONDERFUL CLUBS AS A WARNING.
WE HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO SAVE THESE SPECIAL PLACES.

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NYCity Vacation Travel Guide Video (Expedia):
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