Today’s “Fab 5″/ Selected NYCity Events –WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 03, 2014

“Movie Magic” by Eitan Grinspun
Visit a world where mathematics and entertainment intersect: the world of modern computer-based animation. Join mathematician Eitan Grinspun as he takes us on a journey through the intertwined history of mathematics and animation, from early hand drawings to the latest sophisticated renderings of three-dimensional surfaces on two-dimensional screens, and beyond that to the perplexing questions that mathematicians research today to create the animations of tomorrow.

Math Encounters is MoMath’s popular public presentation series celebrating the spectacular world of mathematics, produced with support from the Simons Foundation.
National Museum of Mathematics, 11 East 26th St. (btw 5^th/Madison)
4PM & 6:30PM / FREE
(212) 542-0566 / momath.org.

The Coca-Cola Generations In Jazz Festival
For the fifth year running, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola has organized a monthlong series with a multigenerational theme — continuing this weekend with the baritone saxophonist Joe Temperley, who’s just shy of 85, working with the Jonathan Batiste Trio and the singers Brianna Thomas and Bruce Harris. But first, on Sept. 2 and 3, the Mason Brothers Quintet, with Elliot on trombone and Brad on trumpet, will record its second album in the club; on Sept. 4, the trumpeter Bria Skonberg pays homage to “Satch Plays Fats,” the 1955 Waller tribute by Louis Armstrong.

Among next week’s highlights are the Peter and Will Anderson Quintet, playing music by the Dorsey Brothers (on Sept. 9), and the Fountain of Youth Band, led by the indomitable drummer Roy Haynes (from Sept. 11 to 14).” (Nate Chinen – NYT)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Broadway at West 60th St.
Sept. 1-30 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
$20 to $45 cover, with a $10 minimum
212-258-9595 / jalc.org

Ute Lemper Sings The Love Poems of Pablo Neruda (through Sept. 6)
“Recalling her past triumphs, you might associate this cabaret star with Brecht and Weill and all manner of shadowy Weimar decadence, but Lemper’s repertoire now touches on a broader international spectrum. Her new album, “Forever: The Love Poems of Pablo Neruda,” finds this thoughtful multilingual vocalist interpreting the work of the Chilean master.” (NewYorker)
54 Below, 254 W. 54th St. (btw Broadway/8th)
7pm / $55-$85 + food & beverage minimum of $25.
646-476-3551 / 54below.com

Greil Marcus reads from his book “The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs’
Greil Marcus in Conversation With Rachel Felder

Founder of contemporary rock criticism Greil Marcus talks with Vanity Fair writer Rachel Felder about the 10 songs that embody rock ‘n’ roll in his latest work The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs.
7:00 PM / FREE
Barnes & Noble, 82nd & Broadway
212-362-8835

Elsewhere, but absolutely worth the detour:

U.S. TENNIS OPEN (Day 10) / TODAY’S PREMIER EVENT
The U.S. Open continues today (11AM) at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens (about 45 min. from Times Square), and runs through Sept. 8. This is the fourth and final tournament which culminates the tennis Grand Slam each year. It consists of five event championships: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, with additional tournaments for seniors and juniors.
subway: #1-2-3 to Times Square; transfer to #7 to Mets-Willets Point

When you first arrive check out one of the electronic scoreboards listing matches in progress. Find a match or players that interest you and head over to their court for some great competitive tennis, because in this tournament even the qualifiers are great players.

There is no other major sporting event where you can get so close to world class athletes as at the U.S. Open – on the outer courts especially, but also the Grandstand court, and even Louis Armstrong stadium. Courts where you can get a real sense of the pace of the game. At this point in the second week the action on the outer courts is turned over to the Juniors, while the big stars will be in the 2 stadiums – Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong.

Matches to watch today (per Matt Cronin – usopen.org):

TONIGHT – Noval Djokovic vs. Andy Murray
This is by no means a toss-up, which means that Murray must play great and hope that Djokovic falls off a little bit. Murray has been one of the best players on hard courts for years, but he has struggled this year after coming back from back surgery. However, the Scotsman has looked a lot better here in New York and seems to be rising again. The Scotsman says he is feeling much better, and he is looking very strong.

However, Djokovic has looked excellent in his first four matches; his opponents haven’t come close to challenging him. The Serb is creaming his shots, and he hasn’t been in a single spot where he’s been unsettled. Djokovic loves the US Open, and he pretty much believes that he can outlast anyone – with the possible exception of the game’s three other greats: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Murray.

Djokovic and Murray have both won US Open titles; Djokovic in 2011 and Murray in 2012. The Serb leads their head-to-head 12-8, but the two 27-year-old talents have known each other forever. Djokovic has been a little better, but the two have been close at the Slams, with Serb up 3-2, winning three Australian Opens, and Murray winning the US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon over Djokovic.

Both men can return extremely well. Djokovic has a little more oomph on his forehand, but Murray can go any direction with his backhand and can fool foes while charging the net. Djokovic is the more effective server. Murray will push very hard and enjoy the massive crowd under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Djokovic is playing a bit better now and will upend Murray in five sets.

TONIGHT – Serena Williams vs Flavia Pennetta
The Italian has become a much more intelligent player, but she has also grown enough as a player to go for her shots. Serena and Flavia are both 32 years old and know each other very well, so there aren’t any tricks in their bags.

Serena is 5-0 in their head to head and Flavia has only won one set in those encounters. Yes, Pennetta can play a lot of rallies, but she cannot handle Williams’ serve and forehand, and that is enough. Serena wants a three-peat at the US Open. She’s playing brilliantly and will win in straight sets.

Victoria Azarenka vs Ekaterina Makarova
The Russian Makarova is playing much better overall. Prior to this year, she would often falter in the big matches, but now she is finally ready to play ball. Makarova hits the heck out of her ball and upset Eugenie Bouchard by playing big and refusing to fold under pressure. She not only can rip her backhands, but also hits a very heavy ball on the forehand side as well.

But Makarova has yet to show that she can go deep into the Slams. She eventually may do that, but her foe Azarenka has been there before on numerous occasions.

“Vika” reached the US Open final in each of the last two years before falling to Serena Williams, and she has won two Australian Open titles, which clearly shows that she can dominate on her beloved hard courts. Azarenka has struggled this year due to injuries, but she has fought very hard during this event and can rise up again. Makarova will try to trouble Azarenka, but Vika will stare her down and win in three sets.

Stan Wawrinka vs Kei Nishikori
Nishikori showed tremendous heart and courage in overcoming Milos Raonic in five sets in the fourth round. Nishikori has been on and off for some time, consistently getting hurt, but he has decided to keep trying hard even when he didn’t feel right. In besting Raonic, he stood tall and didn’t give up when the Canadian smoked bombs serve after serve.

Nishikori will go hard again, but can he grind another three hours or so to beat Wawrinka? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. Sure, he can run around for a couple of hours, but Australian Open champ Wawrinka is playing very well again. The Swiss did struggle after his amazing run in Melbourne, where he took down Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal and answered any self-doubts he might have had.

He is now back and believing in himself, and that is why his strong one-handed backhand, his heavy forehand and his underrated net game will give him another victory. Nishikori will run around for hours, but Wawrinka will hit the lines and win the contest in four sets.
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Today’s Tips: Watching the players on the new practice courts is a good way to get a free tennis lesson, and video screens show when your fave player is scheduled to hit. The best review of the tournament and the current state of tennis can be found at the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com

There are a few places around the grounds open to the public that provide special fan experiences, and a place to beat the heat (very necessary today) :
Heineken House – big screen tv’s, quality photo booth op, various sporting challenges, sandwiches & beer available for purchase. Say Hi to my fave Heineken girl – Missy.
American Express Fan Experience – swing analysis, 180 degree photo op, charging lockers. Second level of the lounge is only open to card members, where food and drinks are available for purchase.
Time Warner Cable Studios – photo ops, prizes, charging stations.
Emirates Airlines – hospitality room with big screen TV, light refreshments available for purchase.

If you are a Chase Bank customer:
Chaise Lounge – snacks and light refreshments (requires pre-registration).

And don’t forget to stop by the Chia Pod booth behind court 11 for free samples.

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

The Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks from the Feinberg Collection’ (through Sept. 7)
‘Garry Winogrand’ (through Sept. 21)
Mr. Winogrand, who died at 56 in 1984, was the photographer laureate of urban and suburban middle-class life in the United States from the late 1950s through the ’70s and beyond. This ample retrospective focuses on his prime years, when he recorded a newly prosperous America while strolling Manhattan’s avenues and then followed it as it waded into increasingly troubled political waters. The result is a remarkable panorama of an era, with some terrific pictures, and some that Winogrand, who left a mountain of unprocessed film behind, never edited or printed. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Cotter-NYT)
‘The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy’ (through Oct. 26)
‘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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‘Men in Armor: El Greco and Pulzone Face to Face’ (through Oct. 26)
The 400th anniversary celebration of El Greco’s death begins with a stunning clarification of the youthful greatness of his portrait “Vincenzo Anastagi” — a Frick Collection stalwart — that also teaches much about radicalism, fame and painting. This is done simply by pairing it with the obsessively detailed “Jacopo Boncompagni,” a rarely seen portrait by Scipione Pulzone, the now-forgotten artist of the moment in 1570s Rome, where both works were made. (Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St. (btw 5th/Madison)
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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Kandinsky Before Abstraction, 1901–1911 (through spring 2015)
Early in his career Vasily Kandinsky experimented with printmaking, produced brightly-colored landscapes of the German countryside, and explored recognizable and recurrent motifs. This intimate exhibition drawn from the Guggenheim collection explores the artist’s representational origins.
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 09/01 and 08/30.