Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events  – MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy (August 4–September 21, 2014)
This exhibition began on the 100th anniversary of the day World War I began in earnest, at a time when cinema, still in its infancy, offered an especially effective means of recording events. The movies have provided a great wealth of related material over the past century, far more than this series can encompass.

It is difficult to structure this material, but for this series—which comprises some 50 programs—we have tried to break it down into “sub-genres”: prewar activities; espionage; the battlefields in the trenches, in the air, and on and beneath the sea; actualités; and the various homefronts before, during, and after. The August section of the program is predominately drawn from the early years, either during the war or in the succeeding decades. And although many of these films are familiar, there are also some rare gems.

The program in September will concentrate (though not exclusively) on later, more contemporary films. One hopes that this series will supplement the vast array of literature on the subject, and will perhaps help us to better understand why, as Roger Cohen recently wrote in The New York Times, “The war haunts us still.”

Today’s Film:
All Quiet on the Western Front
1930. USA. Directed by Lewis Milestone. Dialogue direction by George Cukor. Adapted from the novel by Erich Maria Remarque. With Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray, Raymond Griffith, Slim Summerville, William Bakewell. Milestone’s Oscar-winning depiction of the disillusionment of German youth after experiencing the realities of war parallels G. W. Pabst’s Westfront 1918 on essentially the same subject, and was made the same year. 128 min.
7:00 p.m., Theater 2, T2
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53 St. (btw Fifth/Sixth avenues)
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org

‘MetroStar Talent Challenge’
“For the seventh year running the room has made a July-August point of ferreting out up-and-coming cabaret talent. Sometimes you wonder why anyone would want to make a career doing this. It’s that difficult and often only intermittently rewarding. But still they come, the gifted and the not so gifted, to vie for a chance at a week’s engagement in the venue if they win and some guaranteed performances if they finish in second or third place. There’s a panel of judges who know what’s what or should, and the audience gets to vote, too. So go pick a winner.” (David Finkle, VillageVoice)
Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St. (btw Fifth and Sixth Aves)
subway: F, M, N, R (all transfer from 1-2-3 at Times Sq.) to 23rd St
At 7PM / $20 + 2 drink minimum
212-206-0440 / metropolitanroom.com

Arturo O’Farrill
Arturo O’Farrill, Grammy Winner, brings great Latin and straight-ahead jazz for a concert you will long remember. Join us for a free performance by Arturo O’Farrill, pianist, composer, educator, and founder and Artistic Director of the nonprofit Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.
Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Old Fulton Street and Furman Street
7:00 p.m. / FREE

LOT 180
“Collector, art enthusiast and private dealer Ron Kosa is pleased to present “LOT 180” a carefully curated exhibition and sale, featuring an exciting compilation of rare and unseen Vintage Art, Signed Limited Edition Photographs, Vinyl Art, Poster Art and Ephemera that focuses on mid-1970s and early 1980s New York City and captures the creative whirlwind which so radically influenced the face of American art and culture.

The six-week long exhibition features remarkable imagery by a line-up of artists whose collective archives immortalize the cultural and social landscape of New York City during the period which so highly influenced the popular culture movement.” artfixdaily.com

Check out a collection of Fernando Natalici’s Times Square snaps alongside Robert Herman’s 1980s street portrait series “The New Yorkers.” See also Andy Warhol’s album covers designed for Debbie Harry, The Rolling Stones and Diana Ross.
Noon to 7 p.m. / FREE
LOT 180, 52 Kenmare St., Nolita

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
There’s a tradition in many New York City jazz clubs – Monday nights are reserved for big bands. The Village Vanguard, the most storied of clubs, has observed this practice since 1966. The Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, established by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, is definitely a big band with 4 trumpets, and 4 trombones to accompany 6 reed players. Why not make it your tradition, too.
Village Vanguard, 178 7th Avenue South, just below West 11th St.
At 8:30 and 10:30 pm / $25
212-255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors, where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
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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 – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

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. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (08/10) and (08/08).