Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, MAR. 13, 2014.

History and Cuisine of St. Joseph’s Day
“The story behind celebrations in Italy and the United States for this saint and husband of Mary will be discussed at 6 p.m. The talk will be led by Joseph V. Scelsa, a scholar and the president of the Italian-American Museum, where the talk will take place.

There will also be demonstrations in making sfingi, the treat served on St. Joseph’s Day, which is on March 19″ (NYT).
Italian-American Museum, 155 Mulberry Street, at Grand Street, Little Italy.
Reservations are required. 212-965-9000;
suggested admission, $10.

JULIAN BARNES
“The English writer Julian Barnes, in a rare New York City appearance, presents a night of readings about music. He’ll read from his own work and that of others, and the pianist Angela Hewitt will perform.” (NewYorker)
(Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St.
at 6PM / $20
212-505-3474.

Tours in Celebration of International Tourist Guide Day
Tourists and native New Yorkers are invited to join one or more of 15 walking tours in four of the five boroughs — Queens is not included — from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., courtesy of the Guides Association of New York City. This is the third year that the group, the local chapter of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, is offering free tours in the city. Those tours will include stops at Grand Central Terminal, the Little Italy section of the Bronx and the Brooklyn Bridge. Reservations are necessary. A schedule, with meeting locations, is at tinyurl.com/kdteds7. More information: 908-499-3735.

Immigrant, Archbishop, and Politician: John Hughes and the Rise of Irish New York
Explore the life of legendary New Yorker John Hughes (1797-1864) as portrayed in both fact and fiction. A pivotal figure in the history of New York City and its Irish-American experience, Hughes presided as the Catholic archbishop of New York from the Irish Famine immigration until nearly the end of the American Civil War.

First, playwright and author Honor Molloy and New York Times columnist Dan Barry will read excerpts from novelist Peter Quinn’s Banished Children (Overlook TP, 2008) and historian Terry Golway’s Machine Made (Liverwright, 2014), which capture Hughes in his varied roles as prelate, politician and ethnic leader.

After a musical interlude by Mick Moloney, featuring political and popular songs of the period, Quinn and Golway sit down with moderator Jim Quinn for a lively discussion about Hughes and his times.
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.,
at 6:30 pm / $16; $12 seniors
212-534-1672

Ellie Goulding
Her breakout hit, “Lights,” defined this singer as a dance-ready pop star, though her other efforts can veer toward ruminative, singer-songwriter fare. Her sky-high soprano is a much bigger sensation in her native Britain, where she performed at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton, though she aimed to change that in 2012 with the release of her album “Halcyon.” (Anderson-NYT)

Now she’s back to warbling, percolating electro: Her “Beating Heart” anchors the soundtrack of the dystopian romance “Divergent.”
the Theater at Madison Square Garden,
866-858-0008, thegarden.com;
At 8 p.m., $29.50 to $45.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.

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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China’ (through April 6)
‘The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925’ (ends April 13)
‘Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris’ (through May 4)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’(through Sept. 7)
‘Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin’ (through Dec. 7)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org
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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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‘Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video’ (through May 14)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

========================================================== Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Ten museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:

• 110th Street – Museum for African Art

• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio

• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York

• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum

• 91st Street –  Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

• 89th Street – National Academy Museum

• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York

• 83rd Street – Goethe-Institut

Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Additionally, though technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 70th St. and the The Morgan Library & Museum on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave. Now plan your own museum crawl. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 03/11 and 03/09.